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Saturday, 1 November 2014

Beach Landing

A few weeks back my friend Alf, owner of Barrage Miniatures, brought the prototypes of the new series of landing crafts in 28mm to the club. After seeing these beauties, I could not resist ordering a couple of American landing craft (LCVP Higgins) for my US Army units of Chain of Command.

Mid this week, I was called by Alf to collect my order, and I have to say that the final product is awsome. As you can see in the photos below, each model comes with two HMGs, and several parts to make yoiur own configuration (drivers hatch, open or close ramp, etc)

The level of detail both insde and outside the ship is really good...

...and the model design allows to pack inside a full squad in 28mm (a pity I based my models in 25mm rounds, and not the standard 20mm!)

These landing cradft series is now being beefed up with the Japanese Daihatsu (already out) and the incoming British model.

The challenge now is to find how to use them with Chain of Command, as the rules have no specific section on amphibious landing. Still, I want to put them on the table and not only for mere aesthetics!

Thinking about a landuing scenario, I have developed a few first ideas but will need some additional thinking as well as testing:

Patrol phase: this will be entirely replaced with a different system. Assume that the table is divided in two halves (beach and inland). The defenders (German or Japanese typically) will deploy in the "inland" section but instead of jump-off points, the player will indicate where his main defences (bunkers and trenches) will be located. The location of the main support weapons and LMG teams will be marked in a map or similar.

The attacker will place his landing craft that will act as his jump-off point (up to 3 as in the standard scenario). Each landing carft will carry one section or the equivalent supporting teams (engineers) in terms of men.

Deployment: attacker activates first roll his normal command dice plus an additional die and gets 1,2 or 3 free activations to the units deployed in this first phase. Defender is subject to the pre-game barrage option for the duration of the first turn to reflect the effect of the typical naval and aerial support bombardment befiore the landing; in addition all fire is conducted as effective.

Fantastic model! This one, with the Japanese landing craft are fueling my painting work of Pacific troops. Great idea for an amphibious landing game. I have been thinking something similar for a Tarawa series of games.

Beach landings are something I have been thinking about since seeing the laser cut landing craft but these look much, much better. Thanks for the link. I think I will have the same problem as you with the bases but too late now.I wonder if they are big enough to fit a Sherman? also will have to look out for some crew to operate those MMG'sGood ideas with the jump off points, will follow your input with this.

Corsec makes LVCP and LCM in MDF. The LCM will hold a 1/48 Sherman. They do not have the detail of resin, but for the price they are great. www.corseceng.com.On CoC, have the attackers forgo there patrol phase and make the landing craft there jump off points. Make a randomizer for the attackers landing points, that way the defenders will not know exact landing zones nor will the attackers as was the case. Defenders should have a one command dice roll of 6 die to place there defenders before the attackers land.

About Anibal Invictus

A fairly experienced Spanish wargamer, based in Madrid. Together with a group of friends founder of "Club Dragón" in the early 80s. A truly TooFatLardies gruppie since a first love encounter in 2008, I regularly play the Napoleonic, WWI, WWII and Vietnam periods.